Jaffe: Title-starved Astros deliver Houston’s first World Series championship

From SABR member Jay Jaffe at Sports Illustrated on November 2, 2017:

It was George Springer who graced the cover of the June 30, 2014 issue of Sports Illustrated that audaciously touted the Astros as 2017 World Series champions, and in Wednesday night’s Game 7 at Dodger Stadium, it was Springer who made that a reality.

With his first two two trips to the plate, the 27-year-old centerfielder capped a record-setting offensive performance, chased Dodgers starter Yu Darvish, and helped the Astros build a 5-0 lead that they rode to their first championship in the franchise’s 56-season history. For his part, Springer was named the Series MVP.

On the heels of his abbreviated Game 3 start—in which he was lit for six hits and four runs while retiring just five batters—the evening couldn’t have begun worse for Darvish, whose first eight pitches put the Dodgers in a 2-0 hole.

Read the full article here: https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/11/02/astros-world-series-champions-dodgers



Originally published: November 2, 2017. Last Updated: November 2, 2017.